I still somehow have my reasons
by LostSparrow
Summary: A lot has happened since Aliya and Ricky have left high school and joined adulthood. Obstacles were overcome, shit happened, mistakes were made and a lot of ice cream was consumed. Yet, somehow, they're still just as close as ever, despite the complicated lives they now lead. And now, it may get even more complicated when their feelings become more than friendly. (Ricky & O.C)


**_a/n: Hi there :) so back in 2012 little me decided to write a story called Ice cream and fire featuring Ricky andd an O.C called Aliya, and now I have deicded to revist them. Hope you enjoy xx_**

Aliya sits on the couch, both legs crossed and a cup of hot tea in her hands. Her dark hair is piled on top of her head, and she's wrapped in a huge sweater. Her criminology book is open in front of her but she's not taking in any of the information. Her tiny basement apartment is silent, besides for the sound of her occasionally flipping a page of the textbook. The silence and darkness is making her uneasy, and the wind outside doesn't help her feel any better.

She sighs and tries to focus on the book, but she can't. She's been studying law at her college, while trying to make rent working part-time at a retail store. Her parents have been more than generous by helping with her tuition, which has been a big help. It's a quiet life, but she's getting through. The wind outside causes a branch to hit off the living room window and she nearly screams and jumps off the couch, before realizing how stupid she was being and tried to calm down.

Her phone buzzes and she glances down, and a smile comes to her lips instantly. She picks it up and reads it.

From: Ricky xx

 _Hey you. I know ur studying, but im gonna come up and visit. Haven't seen ya in a few days. Got ice cream. See ya in 15._

She smiles and drops the phone. Ricky and she have remained friends throughout high school, even though he's had his fair share of obstacles. After camp green lake, he calmed down from his violent behaviour. Aliya never received any of it, besides the occasional outburst. She eventually convinced him to go to counselling and it helped him a lot. Aliya never admitted it to him, but her feelings for him grew from friendship to something more. They have kissed, only twice…

 _The first time was when she got blackout drunk. She was at a party, stumbling around with Tracy. She was talking to a boy named Joshua, who was about to pull her upstairs when Ricky walked in, grabbed her by the hand and slipped his arm around her shoulders._

" _Time to go, munchkin." He whispers, glaring at Joshua as he does so._

" _No-I don't wanna," she slurs but then she feels the tight feeling the back of her throat and her face drops. Ricky barely has time to process what's happening before he hauls her outside and a moment later she's on her hands and knees, vomiting so violently that Ricky is holding her up, while holding her hair back._

" _I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…" she cries in between gasps._

" _It's okay, Aliya. Don't worry." He replies. Once the contents of her stomach are emptied, Ricky drapes his arm over his shoulder he picks her up and takes her to his car where he drives her back to his house, not risking dropping her off at her house in case she gets sick again. He takes her phone and texts her parents, lying and saying she was sleeping at Tracy's. Ricky carries her into his bedroom, where she then drops on his bed. She's half asleep, still drunk, when he climbs in beside her. She sighs and rolls over, throwing her arm over him._

" _You're the best," she mumbles. He snorts and runs his hands through her long hair. They're silent for a while, until Aliya pushes herself up and he can see her staring at his lips. A minute later, she's pressed her lips on his. She tasted like vodka, cigarette smoke and honey lip balm. Before the kiss can go any further, she's passed out beside him. He stays up for a few hours, making sure she is still breathing and not sick. When she woke up the next day, she didn't acknowledge the kiss. She may not even remember._

That was the first time. The second time was a few weeks later. They were lying on the couch, watching a movie. He started tickling her and she nearly kicked him in the stomach, before rolling on top of her. They both stopped, stared before meeting each other's lips. It was gentle, sweet. Nothing like kissing Kendra. But then they both pulled away. Not ready to jeopardize their friendship, they did nothing about it. Just chalked it down to experimenting and that was it. So they're just friends, who love each other.

Whether or not he returns those romantic feelings is still relatively unknown. She had mentioned he had several obstacles to go through, and the main one was the birth of his child- when he was eighteen. His high school girlfriend, Kendra, the toxic, poisonous influence which ruined his life was someone Ricky could just never get away from. She twisted his mind and clouded his senses and would always come sneaking back into his life.

He eventually broke up with her, but not before she dropped a bombshell on him: she was pregnant. Aliya was the first person he told, and he came running to her house in a confused daze. He calmed him down, gave him a cigarette and talked it through. Ricky never went back to Kendra but immediately accepted his child; Willow. Kendra was arrested for drug possession so Ricky took full custody of his little girl. She changed him, he grew up, moved into an apartment and is working.

A few minutes later, she hears a knock on the door. She gets up and runs to it, opening it quickly. His unruly blond curls are loose around his face and his bright blue eyes manage to shine in the dull light. Willow is perched on his hip, hoisted up by his arm, hanging on his shoulder is the baby bag. Aliya grins and steps forward, hugging him then kissing Willow on the forehead. The trio walk inside and make their way to the kitchen, where Aliya flicks on the kettle and takes Willow from Ricky. The young toddler grins and outs her small, chubby hand on the woman's face.

"How's the studying?" Ricky asks, looking up at her, his cute smile plastered on his face. She rolls her eyes and sighs, tickling Willow instead.

"Oh, it's just lovely. It's my absolute favorite thing to do." She sighs in response.

"Are you stressed?" he asks her, his smile dropping and he looks concerned. She just shakes her head.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry." She answers, hugging the baby close to her chest.

"What's wrong then?" he asks, studying his childhood friend's face.

"I find it creepy here by myself sometimes," she admits.

Ricky doesn't push her any further, instead he begins telling her stories about Willow's accomplishments that day. They make tea for Aliya and coffee for Ricky and then head to the living room. Willow sits on the floor and begins playing with some blocks. Aliya is lying down, her legs on the blond man.

"Do you have class tomorrow?" he asks.

"No, not tomorrow. It's Thursday, I don't have classes on Tuesday and Thursdays- remember?" she responds.

"We can stay here tonight if you want? I know you get creeped out by yourself. I'll sleep on the couch, Willow has her extra crib here she can stay in." Ricky says and nods to her bedroom, where Willow's crib is.

"I would like that, but you're not sleeping on the couch. I have a double bed- it can easily fit you and I." she says, smiling.

They stay up for a while longer, until Willow begins growing tired and getting annoyed. Ricky picks her up and carries the girl to Aliya's room. She follows him, yawning and stretching while she does so. She sits on her bed, watching Ricky as he takes care of her daughter. He smiles at her, changing her into her pyjamas and tickling her stomach.

"It's cute when you do that," Aliya says with a grin as she flops on the bed, curling up in a fetal position.

"Shut up," he mumbles, still smiling at his little girl.

When she's changed and tucked into her crib, Ricky pulls his shirt off then slides into bed. Aliya comes in from the bathroom, as she just finished brushing her teeth. She's wearing a pair of blue shorts and a black men's shirt. Ricky snorts when she walks in.

"Is that mine?" he asks.

"Yeah. You left it here a few weeks ago and it's the most comfortable thing in the apartment," she tells him as she crawls into bed beside him. He puts his arm over her shoulders and she rests her head on his chest. His fingers run through her dark locks and she smiles. His heart is beating quickly. Like she said, she and Ricky are just best friends who have sleepovers and eat ice cream.

He kisses her on the forehead and she takes a minute to answer. "Can you try that again…?" she says quietly. He looks down at her lips first, but then decides against it and kisses her forehead again. Aliya doesn't argue. They're complicated best friends who kiss each other- that happens all the time, right?


End file.
